Protege
by FanWriterGirl994
Summary: On September 1st, having only recently moved from America to Europe, first years Raisa and Alex Carrol make their way to Hogwarts via the Hogwarts Express, upon arriving they quickly befriend Harry's daughter Lily, and while things at Hogwarts have seemed peaceful enough since Voldemort's defeat, the three first years quickly discover that things are far from what they seem.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Trelawny's Exit

Much had changed in the twenty-one years since the Battle for Hogwarts. Harry had worked for the Ministry of Magic as an Auror for fourteen years before Professor McGonigal, who was now Head Mistress, had asked him to return to Hogwarts and fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry had consented, in the interest of building a quieter life for himself, Ginny, and their three children. Plus, if anyone knew the importance of preparing the younger generation to defend themselves against dark magic, even now, in a time of peace, it was Harry.

McGonigal had also appointed him the new head of Gryffindor House, a position that she had held when he was a student at Hogwarts. Just prior to the start of term his fifth year of teaching, he and his fellow teachers were summoned to the astronomy tower.

Upon arriving, he found Professor McGonigal, Hermione, (who had been visiting Professor McGonigal) Neville, Draco, Hagrid, Flitwick and all the rest of the Hogwarts teachers, gathered round the limp body of their colleague, Professor Trelawny, who had taught divination for many years. Kneeling at her side, was Madam Pomfrey, who appeared to be trying to determine what exactly was wrong with Professor Trelawny. Suddenly she looked up at them with a forlorn expression on her plump face.

"What happened?" Professor McGonigal demanded.

"Nothing Minerva; absolutely nothing, and yet Sybill is on her way to the other side. Her time has come, that is what happened. There's nothing to be done I'm afraid." Madam Pomfrey replied, rising to her feet beside Professor McGonigal. "It's hard to say, but it appears that she has only minutes left."

Suddenly, Professor Trelawny's eyes went a cloudy white, a sure sign that she was in a prophetic state. She rose to an upright sitting position and stared up at her fellow professors, her head swiveling between Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Draco. Then, in her hoarse, hissing, prophetic voice she began to speak, but her words were inaudible. Whatever she was predicting she mouthed it shakily and then the vision ended.

At once, Professor Trelawny's eyes cleared again. She then fell to the ground, dead. Madam Pomfrey knelt beside her once again to make sure, then, having confirmed it, she moved a gentle hand slowly over Trelawny's face, closing her eyes so that she looked as though she could be sleeping.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The First Years

Incoming first years Raisa and Alex Carrol were brother and sister, twins in fact. Both were short and noticeably skinny for their age, so much so that their new robes, despite having been fitted for them, still hung sack-like on their small frames. They also shared their father's

luminescent blue eyes, but beyond that, they didn't look much alike at all. Raisa's hair was a deep brown, heavily tinged with red so that in certain lights it appeared to be almost scarlet and she almost always wore it in a long, thick Dutch braid that reached the small of her back. Alex, on the other hand, had short, coal black hair which he teased so that it stuck up on top of his head in a 'I did this on purpose' sort of way, because if he didn't it would look hopelessly untidy. Any attempt to tame or style it in any other way had always turned out badly. The two of them were the only occupants in the very last compartment at the back end of the train.

Raisa was the more confident and outgoing of the two, and despite the fact, that they now found themselves on a train which was racing toward a school that the two of them hadn't known existed until they'd received their letters just a few short weeks ago, she remained steady and outwardly calm.

Alex on the other hand, was timid and clumsy. He was a sweet-natured and intelligent boy but he had always lacked his sister's confidence. To him, the crowded Hogwarts Express was a lonely and unfamiliar place, about to take him to a place even further out of his rather small comfort zone.

"Cheer up Alex!" Raisa told him, putting one arm around her brother. "Everything will be alright, you'll see. We're both gonna love Hogwarts, you mark my words. We're _so_ lucky!" she told him.

That last bit Alex certainly agreed with. He'd been thinking it sine the moment he'd opened his Hogwarts Letter. That he, in particular, was lucky to be going to Hogwarts. He still couldn't fathom a world in which he truly belonged there.

"Besides," she continued, "It's not like we'd be going back to our old school anyway."

That was true. The muggle school they had attended for the last six years, was a small private school outside of Fort Worth Texas. Shortly after the end of their last term there, the twins had moved to London with their parents as a result of their mother's job; so even if they hadn't found out that they were magical, and been accepted to Hogwarts, they wouldn't have been able to return there. Alex knew that his sister was trying to cheer him up, but being reminded of the fact that they would never see their home, their town, their friends, their country, again, not even during the Christmas and summer holidays, made his heart ache for it all.

As he peered over at her, he saw that a single glittering tear was making its way down her cheek. Clearly she too, missed everything and _everyone_ they'd left behind back in June much more than she was letting on. Outside the window, a magnificently clear and colorful twilight rose up against the backdrop of the rolling Scottish hills. They'd been on the train all afternoon, surely it wouldn't be too much longer before they arrived at Hogwarts.

This was further confirmed by a bustle of movement from several of the other compartments with many students, especially younger ones such as themselves, standing up to peer out the windows as a large castle standing atop a mountain came into view just as the stars began to appear in the sky.

"We're here…" he breathed.

A few minutes later, the train came to a halt at a small station at the foot of the mountain. All around them, boisterous older students, who obviously knew exactly what they were doing and where they were supposed to go, began to make their way off the train.

When there seemed to be an opening in the crowded isle, Raisa stood and joined the line, closely followed by Alex. Upon exiting the train, they were greeted by a truly gigantic man with small dark eyes and a dark brown mane of hair and a long beard, both of which were tinged with gray.

"Firs' years! Firs' years follow me." He bellowed so that every first year could hear him plainly.

At his words, a significant portion of the students began to gather around the giant and looked up at him expectantly.

"Evenin, the name in Hagrid, I'm the school's Game Keeper and I also teach Care o' Magical Creatures; all of you firs' years form a line and follow me…" He told them.

The twins fell in line with the other first years and were led to the shores of a still, clear lake where a line of small boats was tied off, floating gently in the peaceful water. Each boat had a lantern tied to the front of it.

"Alright then… four students to a boat, no more 'an that. Once we get across the lake, we'll be at the castle." He explained, getting into the first boat, which he had all to himself.

By the time Raisa and Alex reached the front of the line, there was only one other first year still waiting, and only one boat left for the three of them to climb into. The other student was a girl, with strawberry blonde hair and large brown eyes.

"Hi, I'm Lily…" The girl greeted them with a smile once they were settled in the boat.

They didn't see quite how, but before either twin could reply, the boats sprung into motion and began to glide across the lake.

"I'm Raisa, and this is my brother, Alex…" Raisa told her.

"So which house do you two think you'll be in?" Lily asked, flashing a warm, friendly smile with just the faintest hint of nervousness in her brown eyes.

"We don't know, we're muggle-born, so we don't know anything about Hogwarts really." Alex interjected.

"There was a house system at our muggle primary school," Raisa offered, "but I doubt it's anything like the one at Hogwarts."

"Well, here there are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravlenclaw, and Slytherin. It's really common for students from the same family to be in the same house, but that doesn't always happen. Look at my family for example, the whole lot of us were in Gryffindor until my brother Albus, who was sorted into Slytherin, and I haven't even been sorted yet… it's about your personality and what you value, not skills or blood or anything like that." She explained. "It's probable that I'll end up in Gryffindor but it's not a forgone conclusion." She continued as the boats pulled up to a set of docks lining the opposite shore.

Together with the rest of the first years, of which there were over a hundred, Raisa, Lily, and Alex followed Hagrid up to the castle, stopping only when they had reached a giant set of doors which led to the Great Hall.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Welcome to Hogwarts

Hagrid went inside but told the first year students to wait. They were greeted a few minutes later by an older woman who wore green velvet robes and a matching pointed hat. She had gray hair, blue eyes, and an expression on her face that said that one would have to be very, very sneaky for anything to get passed her and that she was unlikely to stand for any funny business.

"Good evening students, I am your Head Mistress, Professor McGonagall. In a moment you will enter through these doors but before you can join the other students you must be sorted into your houses. At this school we use an object known as the Sorting Hat. You place the hat on your head, and it will tell you and us which house you belong in. After that, you may take your seats with your classmates from the same house. While you are here your house will be like your family, you will share dormitories, common rooms, dining tables, and classes. You will also share classes with students of the same year from one other house. Now we shall file into the Great Hall in an orderly fashion, gather near the front, and the sorting ceremony will begin." She told them.

The Head Mistress started toward the doors, inviting the first years to follow. The doors swung open by themselves and didn't close behind them until the very last first year had entered the Great Hall. It was a large, cavernous room built of stone with stone floors and four extremely long wooden tables, one for each house, arranged two and two on either side of an enormous center isle along which they now walked. The tables were full of older students watching them, those on the outer sides of the two tables nearest the walls were craning for a look at the newcomers.

At the front of the room, between the main hall and what appeared to be the staff table, stood a small three-legged wooden stool with a large, ratty-looking pointed hat sitting on top of it. Suddenly the old hat sprung to life and, using the folds in the fabric as though they were its mouth, began to sing:

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

"Juniper Amos…" McGonagall called. A big boned blonde girl with Green eyes stepped out from the crowd and approached the sorting hat. She sat down and McGonagall put the hat on her head. Again the hat sprung to life. "Hufflepuff!" it shouted. One of the four house tables erupted with cheering as she hopped off and skipped toward them, taking a seat with some friendly looking second years.

This process was repeated with several more students, who were distributed fairly evenly amongst the four houses, before at last McGonagall got to the Cs on her list. "Alexi Carrol…" she called. Alex went rigid with fright for a few seconds, then he stepped forward and sat down. He shut his eyes as the sorting hat was placed on his head.

"Well, well, what do we have 'ere?" it whispered. "You're an interesting one aren't you? Hardworking, loyal… but a mind to rival the cleverest of warlocks…and oh yes, and undercurrent of courage… so where should I put you?" it asked in a whisper.

Alex quickly ran through the hat's description of the four houses in his head and realized that it was wondering whether to put him in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. _I'm not brave,_ he whispered, sure that he could never fit in, in Gryffindor. _I'm not brave.. I'm smart, that's all, a smart coward…_

"Are you sure? You're braver than you think lad, but if you're sure…Better be… RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat announced. At once the students at the Ravenclaw table starting cheering.

Alex hopped down from the school and tentatively joined his fellow Ravenclaws. As he did so, out of nowhere, the collar and trim on the sleeves and hem of the sweater-vest he was wearing turned blue and bronze and a patch bearing the Ravenclaw house crest appeared on his robes.

"Raisa Carrol!" McGonagall called out next.

Raisa, who had been calm and collected up to this point, froze, suddenly terrified. Sensing her fear, her four month old Russian blue kitten, Roochka, who had been sleeping contentedly up this point, wriggled in the inside pocket of her robes.

Raisa approached and sat down on the stool. Professor McGonagall put the sorting hat on her head just as she had done with Alex, and it immediately sprung to life once more and started to whisper in her ear.

"Hm… I see… difficult…very difficult…courage, wit, gentleness… I know…" it paused. "Ravenclaw!" the Sorting Hat's voice rang out throughout the Great Hall.

Again the Ravenclaw table erupted with cheering, and Raisa went and joined her brother.

The Sorting continued, Demsy, Fig, then a boy called Hugo was placed in Gryffindor, until finally it came time for Lily's turn.

She approached the stool as though it were an old friend, familiar and unintimidating, the twins supposed that, that's how it was when you came from a whole wizarding family like hers and weren't in a state of complete culture shock.

The Sorting Hat opened its mouth to say something but stopped, it was as though it had expected her to be easy to place and then found that wasn't true. "Well… this is a surprise… alright then… RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat announced.

Lily looked positively dumbfounded but she got off the stool and joined the twins at the Ravenclaw table. After that, several more students were sorted and then the ceremony ended. At the staff table, McGonagall tapped her goblet softly with her spoon and it rang out loudly throughout the hall.

"Your attention please! First, another warm welcome to our incoming first years, we're so glad to have you all here. Before we begin our annual feast, I do have a few start of term noticed that must be announced. As always, the Dark Forest is forbidden to all students. Also, please join me in welcoming our newest addition, the teaching of Muggle Studies will be taken over by Professor Arthur Weasley." She explained.

Professor Weasley was a tall, thin, older man in with graying, receding red hair and brown eyes. Raisa and Alex noticed that a great number of the students at the Gryffindor table were cheering especially loudly, as was Lily.

"That's my Grandpa!" she explained. "He loves muggles, he finds them fascinating…" Lily explained. "He must be so happy! I can't believe he didn't say anything over the summer." She exclaimed.

"I also must announce that from this point forward, Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures are mandatory for all students years one through five and will now be included as subjects on the Ordinary Wizarding Level Exams taken by fifth year students." McGonagall announced. "Enough of that though, let the feast begin!"

With a clap of her hands, the empty platters on every table filled up with all sorts of food. Looking around, Raisa noticed that no one else seemed surprised by this so she reasoned that it must be a normal occurrence.

The three first years ate until they couldn't eat anymore.

"You two aren't the only ones you know…" Lily told them. "There are loads of Muggle-borns every year. They all get used to things here fast enough. My dad's a half blood but was raised by muggle relatives after my grandparents died."

After the feast ended, the students were led by prefects to their house towers. The prefects could barely be heard beckoning their own house to follow them over the excited chattering and general hustle and bustle of so many students leaving the hall at one time. The prefect for Ravenclaw was a sixth year girl named Holly Glas, she was tall and very skinny, with wavy red hair and large, bird-like emerald eyes. "

"Ravenclaws follow me please... I show you da way to da common room now." She told her flock of first years in a heavy Scottish accent. Having grown up in Texas, the twins had a slight southern American accent, but so far, no one at Hogwarts had said anything about it. Alex had anticipated some curiosity at least, concerning their origins, since he thought he had heard somewhere that North America had its own wizarding school; and if that was true, it was likely that the only reason they were at Hogwarts instead of whatever the other school was called, was because they had moved to London before the start of the first term after their eleventh birthday. He was almost positive that Lily had noticed it but was simply too polite to say so.

Ravenclaw Tower was at the top of a spiral staircase deep in the west wing of the castle which led to a cavernous domed chamber at the base of the tower. Even here, the Ravenclaw colors were prominent, blue plush carpeting covered the original stone floor wall to wall and pennants bearing the Ravenclaw crest hung on the wall on either side of a large wooden door. There was no knob or key hole on the door; there was only a large doorknocker carved in the shape of an eagle.

When Holly knocked on the door, the knocker sprang to life. "Before you may enter, one of you must prove themselves by solving today's riddle… If a man was twenty-five years old the day before yesterday and will be twenty-eight next year, on what day is his birthday?" the knocker asked.

Holly stood there silently for a moment, trying to think it through, but before she could arrive at an answer, Alex came up to the front to speak.

"The thirty-first of December, the man's birthday has to be December thirty-first…" He told the knocker.

The stone bird bowed its head in Alex's direction. "Well done Lad, that is correct…you may enter…"

The door swung open and the other Ravenclaws started making their way inside. Holly just stared down at the abnormally small first year in shock that he had managed to solve the riddle before her.

"Nicely done lad…" was all she could find to say, before heading inside herself. Alex followed just behind her and the door shut tight behind them.

The common room was yet another circular cavernous dome, only this time the smaller, half circle room attached by a large archway, had a giant bookshelf instead of a door. The shelf appeared to be built into the wall and covered it from the floor all the way up to the high ceiling. The rest of the Ravenclaw common room was bright, the walls were the same, off white stone as much of the rest of the castle, the room was framed with huge windows with rounded tops on either side, letting in as much natural light as possible, the floor was the same soft, inviting blue carpet, and everywhere they looked there were more bookshelves, half a dozen comfortable looking reading chairs, just as many loveseats and study tables, even a few chess tables. The ceiling of the common room, much like the ceiling in the Great Hall, was also bewitched to look like the nigh sky.

The attached smaller room with the larger bookshelf was itself framed by stone pillars, each with a bronze eagle on top. Between them, just inside the archway, stood a statue of the house's founder Rowena Ravenclaw.

Without a word, Holly walked around the edge to the front of the room, then took one of the chairs from the study tables and stood on top of it so that she towered over all of them. "For all of you first years, the boys' dormitory is up the stairs behind the door on the left side of the alcove, the girls' dormitory is on the right. Rooms have already been preassigned and you'll find that your belongings have already been brought to your rooms. Now, it's been a long night, so everyone should go upstairs, find their rooms and go to bed, classes start tomorrow morning…" Holly explained.


End file.
